Arduino in easy steps is an indispensable guide for anyone wanting to get started with Arduino – the popular circuit board that allows users to create interactive objects.
In digestible chunks, it explains:

What Arduino is and what can be done with it
What’s in your Arduino kit, refreshing your knowledge of resistors, transistors, transformers, circuitry and electricity
How to set up your Arduino environment with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux
How to choose Arduino Shields and key tools such as power adapters, testing equipment and design software
Neat techniques on soldering etc. to help you progress smoothly with your project
The fundamentals of coding, how to write Arduino sketches and use free downloadable ready-made code to save time